=475FG= Dawger Posted May 6 Posted May 6 Many years ago, I had a gear door bellcrank snap in two on gear retraction and the gear stayed down. I RTB’d, checked out the status of the gear, found the snapped bellcrank. It left a gear door flapping in the breeze. I needed to get the airplane to the maintenance base so I taped the gear door in the up position with 3 DHL shipping paperwork pouches and repositioned with the gear down a couple hundred miles. The mechanic had to cut and scrape those pouches off to access the wheel well. All those old stories have a basis in truth. 2
Abahji Posted May 6 Posted May 6 (edited) You (Dawger) didn't use Scotch tape. I have had to stop drill and safety wire bullet holes in plexiglass canopies, and a ball pean hammer to unstick relays, 2x4s to wedge radar plates, and 100MPH tape to cover sheet metal impact splits for one time ferry flights. There are literally thousands of sea stories around. The aluminum plate from scrap metal, or the 0.020 safety wire to cover buttons on the ACM panel is absolutely something I, or any other maintenance chief would have certified for flight. And yes, we have plenty of different types of tapes for specialized instance or temporary repair, but Scotch tape is a household item. Not authorized for use. Never has, never will. And agreed, the story that some aviator, while in-flight, reached into his flight bag, found a solution and used it, then relayed that story to someone over a drunken zoom call, is plausible. You have to do what you have to do while up there. A "Bic pen cap" for example. Or in my case a swift kick to get things going. But, it (scotch tape) would have been stripped out immediately upon landing. It is the very idea that we would launch an aircraft with that, as a temporary repair to an aircraft going into combat, that is ridiculous and frankly a little disrespectful I suppose. We were and are professionals, and actually know how to repair aircraft. That knowledge has been written in blood. Things are much easier these days, but it still is not done with silly scotch tape. Does anybody actually believe you could walk out and maintain an aircraft using scotch tape, crayons, construction paper and the like? Ridiculous. And then launch the aircraft repeatedly like that? Edited May 6 by Abahji format
Atomicmurph Posted May 6 Posted May 6 To be more accurate, you are all correct. We didn't use "scotch" tape.... It was Kapton tm. Seriously though, these are modeled somewhat on planes that served in OIF. The things you might do to a plane to get it ready for flight when they are needed to save lives is a bit different than the luxury's you might have during peace time. 1
Abahji Posted May 6 Posted May 6 Kapton tape is wonderful and useful AF. Scotch tape, as exhaustively explained, not so much. 1
Q3ark Posted May 7 Posted May 7 (edited) 13 hours ago, Abahji said: Does anybody actually believe you could walk out and maintain an aircraft using scotch tape, crayons, construction paper and the like? Ridiculous. And then launch the aircraft repeatedly like that? Maybe it happened from time to time over the 40 odd years the tomcat was in service, maybe it’s just a tall tale from a few pilots, it doesn’t really matter. Heatblur have made the best flight sim model of an F-14 to date, I’m not going to lose any sleep over what methods they might have used to hold some worn out buttons on the ACM panel while deployed in a war zone. I wasn’t a pilot, but I have seen fellow soldiers do stuff to kit and equipment while deployed that would make the civilian maintainers back home cry, sometimes you just have to make something work for the mission, when you’re deployed it’s about lives the equipment is just a tool. Edited May 7 by Q3ark Edited for content 3
Abahji Posted May 7 Posted May 7 LOL, that's hilarious! Illustrates perfectly what actual maintainers do in combat aviation. After our SpongBob Squarepants episode finishes up, let's do one showing how we fix sticky throttle levers with cake frosting from the mess. I think Jester should really be able to spread the cream, since he brings lunch. It would really elevate and promote HB's graphical decision here, in what otherwise is a brilliant thing. Nothing like doubling down on bad decisions, works just as well with Maintenance Chiefs as it does with LSO's. Enjoy your pronouns. 1
Q3ark Posted May 7 Posted May 7 4 minutes ago, Abahji said: LOL, that's hilarious! Illustrates perfectly what actual maintainers do in combat aviation. After our SpongBob Squarepants episode finishes up, let's do one showing how we fix sticky throttle levers with cake frosting from the mess. I think Jester should really be able to spread the cream, since he brings lunch. It would really elevate and promote HB's graphical decision here, in what otherwise is a brilliant thing. Nothing like doubling down on bad decisions, works just as well with Maintenance Chiefs as it does with LSO's. Enjoy your pronouns. Can you write that again with less crazy? If you want to have a mature discussion then go for it, but this is not the way dude. 2
Atomicmurph Posted May 7 Posted May 7 Not sure I understand the hostility here..... the F-14 at the end of her life had no "New" parts available. What parts were ready as spares had been through "I" level maintenance (where they also had no new replacement components) or "D" level maintenance 10-15 years ago and just sat on a shelf. Also, remember on a ship you have very limited space for warehousing all those spare parts. You have to also stock all the parts needed for F-18's, S-3's, H-60's, EA-6's, C-2's and E-2's. The situation was such that during OIF the F-14 did the lions share of strike missions, the F-18 at the time couldn't stay on station long enough to be useful. So we found out the hard way that the most useful strike aircraft on the ship also had no spares but had to stay "UP" no matter what. So, what are you going to do? Tell a Marine platoon in Fallujah that is about to be overrun that no help is on the way because of a loose button? 3 2
Dragon1-1 Posted May 7 Posted May 7 7 hours ago, Abahji said: LOL, that's hilarious! Illustrates perfectly what actual maintainers do in combat aviation. Like it or not, it was done at least once, on at least one aircraft. No word whether it took of like this, but it seems like it flew like this. That said, perhaps the reason this photo exists is that the pilot "fixed" it mid-flight, with nothing better available, and then snapped a photo because he thought it was funny. Even if you're out of spares, kapton or 100mph tape would've been available, and would've done the job better. I wouldn't trust scotch tape to hold up under Gs (that said, it likely wouldn't be the only thing not to trust on those Tomcats...). 4
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